Summer Tempest
by The24thTribute
Summary: Tempest Avalon played with wooden swords, not dolls. She was always told that she was not fit to compete against men, but at the summer tournament in Narnia she is ready to prove herself. However more problems arise other than the angry competitors. P/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Chronicles of Narnia... Well... I own the box set, but that's completely different :)**

1

The boats in the harbor of the Narnian coast were all anchored tightly, and only those of the extremely late arrivals were pulling up to the docks where their passengers finally stepped off and were greeted by the sweating, tanned, muscle bound men who worked the docks. Everyone who exited the boats was buzzing with the excitement that surrounded the entire area and from the docks they could see everything that they had finally come to. The place where everyone had gathered to have a good time, to be together as different nations, and above all else, fight for glory and honor in every bloodthirsty way imaginable.

The tents were all set up along the shores, their brightly colored sides flapping lightly in the wind from the sea. The sun was out and shining down from among the cloudless blue sky, and it cast millions of sparkles upon the seemingly never ending ocean. Hundreds of voices floated on the wind; young, and old, loud, and soft, excited with the prospect of hope, and tired with the exhaustion of traveling.

Knights, and Lords, of all ages, walked from one tent to another, greeting their old friends, and eyeing their old foes. All of them dressed in their finest and most wonderful clothes, some of them glittering like finely polished jewels in the high sun light. All of their Ladies were all on the green hills that overlooked the tents upon the beach. Resting among each other's company on the sweet scented grass, or having their siesta in the comfort of the cool shade of their tents.

To any commoners that were to visit this great place of spectacle, these people would seem as interesting and beautiful as the radiant sun that shone over them, and as exotic as some of the glittering clothes that they wore. They were all, Lords and Ladies of the surrounding countries of Archenland, Telmar, Calormen, Galma, Terebinthia and the Lone Islands, come with their finest knights, and warriors to compete in the great festivities of Narnia's Beginning of the Summer tournament.

All of the knights were trained to be bloodthirsty. To show no mercy in any event, and seize every chance to give glory and power to their masters. All of the knights, were the strongest men of their country. All except one young woman who had been brought up under interesting circumstances.

Her name, was Tempest Avalon, and she was nineteen years old, along with being strongly opinionated and at times, and a bit of a hellion to those she was supposed to be controlled by. She was as wild and uncontrollable as a wild fire, and _she_ was the warrior for her guardian, Lord Hector from the island of Redhaven of the Seven Isles.

Their tent was stationed on the part of the beach that was directly beneath the large cliffs that held on them, the glorious Cair Paravel. The shining white marble castle, that seemed to almost be a part of the cliff itself, also seemed to be a grand spectacle of everything that Tempest resented. It was the home of the four rulers of Narnia, Queen Lucy the Valiant, Queen Susan the Gentle, King Edmund the Just, and High King Peter the Magnificent. And it was the place where the golden festivities of the beginning of the summer would take place.

It was the place where Tempest would finally show everybody that she was not just some silly girl competing in Men's sports. She was a fighter.

She would become a champion.

**Any feedback would be very much appreciated :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Chronicles of Narnia... I do however have a very bad case of poison oak due too romping around in the woods for a school project... -.-**

**Enjoy :)**

2

"High King Peter _the Magnificent. _What a bloody annoying title that one has," the slim young woman with long and straight, penny colored hair snorted as she cast a glance up at the glimmering castle nestled into the Cliffside.

"Oh, Tempest, you're only jealous that _you _don't have a title like that… And you don't get to live in a place like _that._" came the snide remark from the young boy standing next to her. Tempest moved her gaze from the castle to the scrawny brown haired boy with a smirk on his face that was standing next to her.

"Don't be stupid, Jamal. Why would I want to live _there _when I can legally kick ass down _here_?" She asked him with her own smirk. They both began to laugh just before an older voice called them into the bright green and purple striped tent they had been standing next too.

Inside the tent there were four hard wooden cots laid in a semi-circle on the furthest edge of the tent. In the center was a waist high wooden table that was absolutely covered with assorted items. Papers, quills, ink bottles, lists of names, maps of the surrounding land that they had arrived in, unlit, slow burning candles in their holders, and a smoldering pipe that emitted a smoke that smelled pleasantly like lavender.

Standing behind the table was a short, old, pot bellied man with a scruffy gray beard and hardly any gray hair on his head. His face was weather worn, and creased, but it also held a wisdom in it that most people could hardly even begin to comprehend, and his eyes, which were a bright electric blue in color, still held the spark of adventure and youth lingering in them. That man, was Lord Hector. The man who had brought up Tempest as if she had been his own child.

Beside him, was an extremely tall, man, with skin as dark as midnight, and eyes as deep and ever lasting as the night sky itself. He was bulky, but very well muscled, though he was almost as old as Lord Hector. This man, was Venice Colton. The man who had taught Tempest how to fight like a warrior, win with courtesy, and lose with grace.

Both of the older men did not look up from the table in front of them, and did not stop muttering to one another quietly when Tempest and Jamal had entered the tent. Nor did they look up after a few minutes.

"Hey, you called us in here. The least you can do is act like you needed us for something!" Tempest said as she firmly placed her hand on her hip. The two men looked up at her, silence filling the tent.

"Well isn't someone just as sharp as a dagger today," Lord Hector muttered as he re-adjusted his sword belt under his large stomach and moved around the table. Jamal let out a small snicker while Tempest only rolled her eyes.

"I wouldn't be so sharp if it weren't for-" the beginning of Tempest's rant was cut off.

"Save your energy. You'll need it for your debut tonight." Venice said in his deep, slow voice that was as calm as the day outside of their tent. Lord Hector threw him a dirty look, while Tempest's eyebrow rose inquiringly.

"The games don't start for another two days. What do I have tonight?" she asked. Lord Hector sighed and the tent was silent still without an answer, "What is tonight?" Tempest asked again loudly with more annoyance in her voice. Lord Hector turned to Venice who only gave him a wise expression.

"Why do you always have to say things that make everything more difficult?" Lord Hector asked him with an exasperated look.

"She was going to find out anyway," Venice replied calmly and Lord Hector just waved his hand at him, meanwhile Tempest watched them both with her eyes slightly narrowed. She didn't like it when things were kept from her. Her foot tapped the ground lightly and Lord Hector finally looked at her.

"Tonight, because all of the Lords are finally here, the Kings and Queens of Narnia are holding a Welcome Feast in honor of all the competing knights. The Lords and their Ladies are all invited, as well as their top fighter that they have brought," he told her as he rubbed his hand on his sleeve methodically.

"And obviously, you expect me to attend this event?" Tempest asked with another raise of her eyebrows.

"Your presence is… more or less… _required,_" Lord Hector said to her and she nodded.

"And what if I was to refuse to go?" Tempest asked again as she walked over to one of the cots and sat down on it unceremoniously, leaning back on her elbows. Lord Hector pointed at her with a grim expression on his face.

"You can either willingly go, or Venice will carry you inside and tie you to your chair. Your choice, my dear," he said and Tempest smirked.

"That will certainly look normal. I'm sure you'd love to explain to the Narnian royals the strange, but wonderful custom we practice in Redhaven that involves tying up your guests at dinner," She replied with a smirk and Lord Hector shook his head with a frustrated sigh, however there was a small smile on his lips.

"Oh, I send my prayers out to any man who will have you in the future. May he have all the best of luck," Lord Hector said clearly as he turned to leave the tent. Before he left, he turned back and looked directly at Tempest with his mouth open to speak.

"Yeah, I understand. I'll be ready by the time you get back," she said as she waved a hand at him.

"Good. Good," Lord Hector said with a relieved smile as he walked out into the sunlight on the beach. The tent was silent again as the three remaining people looked at each other awkwardly.

"Well, I might as well go and check out the competition. _You _would do well too look over the maps and read up on your competitors," Venice said as he looked meaningfully at Tempest who was still lounging back on her cot. She nodded her head and lolled it back on her shoulders letting her long hair hang down towards the floor.

"I can assure you, I will put that at the very top of my 'to-do' list," She smiled back to him in a carefree way, although he knew that she would probably end up doing exactly what he'd suggested. Venice then looked at Jamal, who stood still nearby the door quietly. He approached the scrawny boy, and Tempest had to work hard to keep quiet as she watched Jamal's scared face look up at the towering warrior trainer.

"You," Venice said in a booming voice to Jamal, who suddenly looked even more terrified, if that was possible, and took a small step back.

"Y-Yes?" Jamal asked quietly as he looked up at Venice who had him fixed in his deep, penetrating gaze.

"Don't get into any trouble. You hear?" he asked seriously and for a moment Tempest thought that Jamal was going to break his neck by nodding his head so hard.

"Yes, Sir," he said and then Venice was gone, and Jamal visibly relaxed and let out a loud sigh. It was then that Tempest let out a loud laugh and Jamal frowned.

"What are _you _laughing at?" He asked her with a defiant voice, however Tempest just kept laughing.

"I thought you said you wanted to be a warrior when you grew up… That _was _the story you bullshitted to us when you stowed away on our boat… Has your story changed or what?" Tempest asked him after her laughing had slowed as she stood up and walked over to the table. He shook his head.

"No. It hasn't changed," Jamal said quietly as he looked down at the floor.

"Well then! You better buck up and not look like you're about to lose control of your bowels when someone bigger than you looks down on you. Alright? A lot of people are going to look down on you until you prove yourself against them. But until that day, don't take any bullshit from them. Just know that one day you'll be better than them," she said to him as she picked up one of the maps from the table. As she studied the map, she hardly noticed how Jamal had not said anything. Slowly she lowered the map and looked at the scrawny boy still standing. His eyes were curious now.

"That's happened to you. Right?" he asked her quietly and Tempest stared him down for a long time.

"I'm a young woman who thinks she can beat all of those knights in this tournament. I'm quite sure that it happens every day of my life. Now go be useful and observe the competition," she said to him in an even tone and he nodded, moving towards the entrance of the tent, but before he was outside Tempest called his name. He turned back sharply and looked at her with wide eyes.

"Remember what I said. No bullshit from anyone," Tempest said to him with a nod, and Jamal returned it with his own nod and a small smile, then left the tent, leaving Tempest completely alone.

"Finally, some peace and quiet," she muttered as she put down the map on the table. There were so many different papers. All with the names of the people she knew she would have to fight. All of the people she would be competing with. She didn't want to look at any of their stats. She did not want to read about how much taller they were and how much more they weighed. Nor did she even want to think about the sort of things they would say once they saw that they would be competing against a girl.

Surely, next to none of them had ever fought against a woman in their lives, and never dreamed that they would. A woman competing against men in what everyone believed were "Men's" sports was completely unheard of. And that's why Tempest loved her position. Her defiance for social standards was enhanced by learning to wield weaponry, and knowing how to attack others in ways they did not know. It was true that she was smaller than a man, not as muscled as them, but she was lithe, and could hide in smaller spaces. While any strong man could easy knock her head off of her shoulders, they would have a very hard time catching her in order to do so.

She moved slowly around the table looking at all of the different papers finding none of them appealing in the least bit. Finally she turned and walked to the small chest that was laid at the foot of the cot that was supposed to be hers. She opened it slowly and looked inside.

There was not much in it, to be quite honest. Mostly because her armor had been brought to Lord Hector's friend, who was a blacksmith from the Lone Islands, and was being polished and tuned up. The only remains were the clothes she was to wear under her armor, a few extra outfits for the days of leisure she had when she was not competing, and single formal dress that was a bit outdated, considering it had belonged to Lord Hector's lover from long ago.

She did not carry her more important items in her trunk, and instead kept them in a small leather pack she had received from Lord Hector when she was a young girl. She had never shown anyone what was inside of her pack, and she did not think she ever would, and she was perfectly happy if that was the case.

Slowly Tempest pulled out her only dress from the trunk and held it up and out in front of her. It was a faded dark green, velvet dress. The sleeves came a little short of her wrists and the bodice was simply tailored with a modest cut that showed off minimal cleavage that Tempest did not really have in any case. However right below the bust line, in the center of her chest was a golden colored, slightly tarnished medallion that only someone from the Seven Isles would recognize. The bottom was not symmetrical and the hemline came up to her knee on her right leg while the other side went down to her ankle. Along the bottom of the dress was silver embroidery that from a far looked like simple designs, but close up, they actually told a great legend that Tempest had grown up hearing, and knew by heart.

She changed into the dress and smoothed it out. She didn't like to wear dresses much. Perhaps that was why she liked to be a fighter rather than a proper lady of the courts. In any case, she had a feeling that she would not be enjoying the night very much. Her hair, which was down to her waist, hung a smooth sheet of fiery copper color. She'd never learned to braid her hair considering she had played with wooden swords rather than dolls, and so she left it down, hoping that at least one other Lady would leave their hair down. And her eyes, which were a curious steel gray color like the flat of her blade were almond shaped and framed with dark eyelashes. It was uncommon for people who came from her country, and when she looked at her competitors with a bloodthirsty spark in her eye, they would faltered, for even just a brief moment.

Lord Hector suddenly entered the tent, throwing open the flap with a flourish and Tempest spun around, taken by surprise.

"Are you ready? Ah! Don't you look lovely, Tempest," he smiled at his daughter and she smoothed out the dress, looking down at it again.

"I suppose this is as good as I'll ever get," she replied slowly and Lord Hector walked over to her and put a hand on her cheek.

"You are already perfect, my dear," he smiled gently too her and she smiled a little as well as she looked at the man who had raised her.

"Whoa! What happened to you? You _actually _look like a _girl!_" suddenly came the astonished voice of Jamal. Tempest narrowed her eyes and looked around Lord Hector at the scrawny boy standing in the doorway.

"Shut up, Jamal," Tempest growled and he only smirked as he moved to sit on his own cot while Venice entered the tent as well.

"My Lord, the other Lords and their Ladies are making their way up to the castle for dinner," he said in his unnervingly calm voice.

"Right, yes. Tempest? Let's go," Lord Hector said as he made sure that he had everything he needed.

"Alright…" she sighed and then looped her arm with Lord Hectors, and exited the tent into the light of the setting sun.

**Reviews make the itching stop! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia, but I do own the entire Mumford & Sons Album :)**

3

The inside of Cair Paravel was even more fantastic than the outside, if that was possible. As Tempest had walked into the first courtyard of the castle, she realized that the walls of the castle were not just shining marble, but they also had intricate carvings all along them. Each of them telling a different story to everyone who would listen. She had seen balconies leading down towards an orchard of some kind, and gardens that she assumed overlooked the ocean on the very edges of the cliffs.

Together, her and Lord Hector walked inside of the grand castle and up the first large marble staircase into the grand entry way with arched ceilings, golden statues, and guards of all sorts of species. Centaurs, fauns, and animals whom Tempest had heard could talk. They followed the loud crowd of other Lords and Ladies and knights into a very large room with vaulted ceilings, and a glass roof. At the furthest end were four thrones, with a long table set out before them with many types of food. On either side of the room were two long tables that ran from one end of the room to another with chairs on either side and food laid out all along each of them.

"This way, Tempest," Lord Hector said softly to her as he brought her towards the middle of the long table at the right. They both sat down next to each other and as the tables both filled out, the sun had finally set and the candles in the golden candelabrums were all lit along the table. Meanwhile, the sounding of trumpets rang along the room and everyone turned to look at the door as four figures appeared.

Every person in the room stood up again and for a moment, Tempest hesitated. She'd never actually been in the presence of royalty. What if she did something wrong? Her worry began to seep into her heart and Lord Hector seemed to have read her mind and gave her hand a small tap.

"Stop worrying, you'll be fine," he whispered softly, "and stop fidgeting!"

"The sleeves are itchy!" she hissed back to him quietly and then she focused back on the royalty that was making its way down the center of the room.

Everyone either bowed or curtsied to the four Narnian royals as they walked down the aisle between the two tables. Tempest looked up beneath her lashes as she bowed and saw that each of the royals had an animal at their side. There was a small red panda next to the youngest queen, a silvery, gray wolf next to the youngest king, a beautiful black raven next to the older queen, and a proud looking golden eagle next to the High King. As they passed, everyone rose behind them, like a wave of rising heads that followed them all the way to their thrones. And when they finally stood at their thrones with their respected animals beside them, the High King spoke.

"Welcome, friends from every country. We are so glad that all of you are here so we can all join together and participate in these games. A month of peace is upon us, and I think we are all waiting in anticipation to see how the competitions go, and who takes the top prize," as he said that every knight in the room seemed to straighten up, however Tempest only stared at her empty plate in front of her. The High King continued, "But for now, let us enjoy a night of good food, good music, and good company!" He said as he raised a golden goblet in his hand and everyone took hold of their own goblets and raised them towards the royals, then took a long swig.

And so dinner started.

Tempest piled the food that had been laid out in front of her onto her plate and began eating as much as it as she could. She savored the flavors of the food that she had not tasted in what seemed like forever even though it had only taken her a few weeks to get to Narnia from Redhaven. It was only after she heard a delicate cough from across the table that she looked up and reached for her glass to take a drink of water.

Her eyes met with the old blue eyes of an uptight looking Lady sitting down the table from her.

"Can I help you?" Tempest asked slowly as she looked at the gray haired woman. She was genuinely curious if she had done something wrong already. The Lord beside her seemed preoccupied with his own conversation and the woman continued to stare Tempest down.

"My dear, who did you come with? You seem too young to attend such a dinner. All the young Ladies, are staying in for the night, resting after their journeying. Why aren't you with them?" The woman asked in a very straightforward voice and Tempest had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes at this nosey old woman's prodding.

"She came with me, Lady Anne," Lord Hector said to the woman who's eyebrows shot up, suddenly surprised. Her face settled into an expression as she looked at Tempest that suggested that the fiery, copper haired girl was a bug that needed to be squished. Immediately.

"Really. And, your wife was not able to attend the dinner? Is she ill?" Lady Anne asked with her lips slightly pursed. Tempest tensed in her seat as she felt a few more eyes settle on her and Lord Hector from the table. She could tell where this conversation was headed, and it was nowhere she wanted to be.

"Unfortunately, my lover passed on a few years back and is greatly missed," Lord Hector said solemnly then turned and smiled slightly to Tempest who did not look at him, but instead held her gaze fast on the older woman.

"Ah, I see. And when did you gain a new mistress?" Lady Anne asked and it seemed that the entire table had gone silent as they watched Lady Anne, Lord Hector, and a rigid Tempest. Tempest only hoped that the rest of the hall was not this silent and that the royals hadn't taken notice either.

"Oh, my dear Lady Anne! How mistaken you are! Miss Tempest, she is not my mistress," Lord Hector let out a loud guffaw and Lady Anne's eyes narrowed in disbelief.

"Really? Then pray tell me, why is she here otherwise?" The woman asked with disdain in her voice and as Lord Hector opened his mouth to answer, Tempest interrupted quickly

"Because _I'm _his best fighter," She said in a firm voice directly at the woman who's face immediately went into shock. A few of the men down the table let out snickers. The conversation was quickly dropped after that, however the strange looks from all the other Lords and knights did not end. And deep down, Tempest knew that they never would.

After dinner, the tables were moved out from the hall by more of the centaurs that Tempest had seen guarding the halls, and a small band was set up near the thrones which still held the four royals. Tempest looked them over quickly, the younger king looked extremely bored, the oldest queen looked radiant from all of the attention she was receiving from the knights, the youngest queen looked excited by all of the visitors and the High King looked relaxed, but pleasantly entertained.

Tempest on the other hand, was close to dying of boredom. All of couples dancing in the middle of the floor were older Lords and Ladies and they were waltzing around looking about as thrilled as a slug. Tempest stood in the corner with a mug of wine that she'd taken from the table after everyone had gotten up. She let out a sigh and looked over the people again.

The women were all talking amongst themselves, and she had seen some of them looking at her the way one looks at a misbehaved dog. Tempest just leaned against the pillar behind her and subtly rolled her eyes at them. They had no idea what her life was like. They had been brought up in high society with everything they could have imagined. Furs, and jewels, and men all handed to them on a silver platter. They had no idea what it was like to fight for their lives, to have to run away from the one thing you loved most.

Tempest tipped back her cup and downed the wine in one single swallow. As she took a step forward a young man suddenly stepped in her way.

"He's a right loon, isn't he?" the man asked and Tempest raised her eyebrows.

"Excuse me? Who are you even talking about?" Tempest asked the boy in a level voice as she eyed him curiously. His hair was dark and his skin was tanned and the accent he had in his voice was one of a Telmarine.

"I am Sir Davin. I am Lord Zeeman's competitor for the games," he said suddenly to Tempest, leaving her a bit confused.

"I'm Tempest, Lord-"

"Lord Hector's fighter, yes I know," he said it as a fact, however there was a glint of laughter in his eyes.

"So what if I am?" She asked him as she averted her gaze from his face.

"Oh it's nothing, I'm scouting the competition," He said with a slight smile.

"Well then, you've scouted enough. Go and be on your way," Tempest waved her hand at the man who let out a small laugh.

"Traditionally a knight would love to scout out his competitors… or should I say _her _competitors." Sir Davin said.

"Yes, well. I like to live with the element of surprise," Tempest replied sharply and Sir Davin looked at her incredulously, "if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to try and make the most out of this dreadful evening," she continued on as she began walking away from Sir Davin and through the old couples of dancing people towards the small band. As Tempest approached them, their song ended and all of the dancing parties began to clap for them, however they looked almost as bored as Tempest had just moments ago.

"Hey! Guys… Isn't this supposed to be a _happy_ event?" Tempest asked the band members in a quiet tone. They all looked at her curiously and then at each other, "I'm positive that you all must have _something _better to play than that dusty old music? Yeah?" She asked them again and one of the fauns laughed a bit.

"She's right," said another faun with a smile, then he looked at the other musicians, "Naiad Dance on my count," he said and Tempest nodded triumphantly as she turned back towards the dance floor and found Lord Hector leaning against a pillar with two cups of wine in his hands as a light folk song began to play.

"Follow my lead," Tempest whispered in his ear as she took the cups from his hands and set them down then dragged him out onto the dance floor and began to dance lightly with Lord Hector. The crowd seemed a bit stunned for a moment, and the older couples did not seemed pleased with the upbeat music. However it wasn't long before some of the slightly younger Lords and Ladies fell into step around Tempest and Lord Hector who were laughing and smiling away.

"This is just like when you were a little girl after supper!" Lord Hector smiled at Tempest who let out a loud, free laugh.

"This is just like _last week _at the pub!" She countered and that only made them laugh even more as they continued to dance with the other couples joyously as the folk music rang out around them. Finally the music died down and Lord Hector bowed to Tempest and they both smiled at one another before they parted ways, but Tempest was happy to hear that another folk song began to play and she watched as all the younger couples began to laugh and dance happily.

She took the opportunity while everyone was busy to take another goblet of wine and find her way onto a balcony that stood off of the Great Hall. From there she rested her palms against the cool marble gait that stood between her and a two hundred foot drop into the black ocean. The moonlight was shining on the waves almost as brightly as the sun, although it bleached everything of it's color instead of enhancing it.

Suddenly a voice sounded behind her.

"What is your name?" asked a small, girlish voice. Tempest looked over her shoulder wondering what kind of woman had come to criticize her this time, however her heart gave a jolt when she saw the youngest Queen standing on the balcony with her. She dropped into a deep curtsey to the young girl.

"Tempest Avalon, your Majesty," she replied, still looking at the floor.

"Well, Tempest, I can see you already know who I am," the girl said with a smile in her voice and Tempest looked up to see that the girl was in fact smiling at her and it even looked truthful.

"Indeed I do. You're Queen Lucy. The Valiant?" Tempest asked slowly and the girl nodded her head, making her cinnamon brown curls bounce around her face. Her silver circlet on her head was shaped as if it was a crown of flowers that had been dipped into the purest silver, and her dress looked to be a soft pink color and flowed gently down to the floor.

"You're dress is… Lovely. Your majesty," Tempest said unsurely. She did not quite know what was expected from her while she spoke to a royal. Queen Lucy let out a small laugh.

"Oh, thank you. Yours is quite…" the young Queen hesitated.

"Out-dated? Yes, I know," Tempest said to her with a slightly smile. Queen Lucy laughed again.

"I was going to say interesting. It tells a story? At the bottom. Doesn't it?" She asked slowly as she pointed to the silver embroidery at the hemline.

"Yes. Of Ason the Great. From the Seven Isles. Have you heard that story?" Tempest asked her just as slowly, however Queen Lucy shook her head and Tempest was taken aback, "You've never heard this tale?" She asked in disbelief.

"No. My brothers and sister and I were not brought up in Narnia," she said and Tempest nodded. She was well aware of the story of the Narnian royal's arrival into Narnia and all that they did for the country.

"Oh, your Majesty! You have surely missed out. It is a story of adventure!" Tempest began as she saw the young Queen's eyes light up with intrigue, "It is of trust and betrayal, and courage! Of the strength of the mightiest warrior in the world and of a love stronger than any seen before!"

"It sounds like a perfectly wonderful story!" Queen Lucy said with a broad smile.

"It is indeed, your majesty! It takes place on the high seas with pirates and sea monsters! And of dragons in my home land!… Perhaps you should look it up in your library some time," Tempest said suddenly remembering that she was in the presence of royalty and that she couldn't get too over exuberant this time. It was one thing to tell the story at a pub full of drunk, rowdy men. It was an entirely separate thing to tell it to a young Queen of a different country.

"Oh, but you make it sound so lovely! Are you a story-teller from one of the other countries come to watch the events?" She asked curiously and Tempest grew stiff and shook her head.

"No, your Majesty. I am the warrior for Lord Hector of the Seven Isles. I am here to compete in the games," she explained the young girl who's face seemed to be just as shocked as Lady Anne's had been earlier in the evening.

"How is that possible? The games are only men's sports." Lucy said to Tempest who just nodded.

"Indeed. However, I have trained for most of my life in my home country. I am more than apt to compete in the events," Tempest explained slowly and Queen Lucy did not say anything for a long while.

"Will you come to the castle tomorrow for tea in the gardens and begin telling me that wonderful story?" the Queen suddenly suggested and Tempest was at a loss for words. She had never been invited to _tea _let alone to be with a _Queen. _

"Um… Well… Your majesty. I'm not sure if I'll have training tomorrow for the competition the following day. Might I check with my trainer tomorrow morning and write you tomorrow with my answer?" Tempest asked slowly and the young Queen nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Oh, Miss Tempest! This will be so much fun!" She said with a grin on her face and Tempest tried her hardest to smile back. She was so confused right now. Suddenly another voice startled her out of her thoughts.

"Lu? Lucy? Oh, there you are. Who have you been talking with out here? The party was _inside _last time I checked." Came a deep voice from behind the young Queen and Tempest looked up into the face of the High King.

"_Oh bloody hell," _Tempest whispered angrily to herself as the High King stared her down.

"Oh! Peter. This is Miss Tempest Avalon. She's the competitor for Lord Hector and she's going to tell me a grand story tomorrow at tea and-"

"Hold on, Lu. You said she's Lord Hector's competitor?" He asked incredulously and Queen Lucy nodded again. Tempest sensed a reoccurring theme here…

"Your name is what again?" the High King asked and Tempest realized with another jolt that he was talking to her.

"Tempest, your Majesty. Tempest Avalon," she said evenly as she brought her gaze up to his, which was, as she expected, scrutinizing her thoroughly.

"Right. And you are… _Competing?" _he asked again, his eyebrows raised in suspicion.

"Yes, that is correct, but if you'll excuse me. It's time I should be going with Lord Hector. He's too old to be staying out this late," Tempest said to them making up an excuse as she made to walk away from them after curtsying low to the ground.

"Tempest!" Queen Lucy's voice rang out again and Tempest turned around with an exasperated look on her face.

"Yes, your majesty?" she asked back to the young Queen however it was the stoic High King's face that her eyes were drawn too to find that he was staring back at her with impassive eyes.

"I sincerely hope that you can tell me that story tomorrow," she said to her with a smile in her voice and Tempest looked to the Valiant Queen and quickly nodded then walked back into the Great Hall where it had finally turned into a real party inside. She found Lord Hector talking with another older Lord with a sloshing goblet of wine in his hand.

"Lord Hector. It's time to go. Come on," Tempest said as she grabbed a hold of his shoulder.

"Oh! Tempest! You're just in time!" He began but Tempest was already driving him towards the door and finally they made it out into the entry hall. Lord Hector made a sharp movement and the wine sloshed out of his cup and onto the dress that Tempest was wearing. She gasped at the wetness and then a glare set on her face. Tempest took the goblet of wine from him roughly and he looked a bit dejected, "I wasn't done with that," he said as he tried to walk toward the door but wobbled unsurely on his feet. Tempest put a hand under Lord Hector's arms and helped him walk toward the door.

"How much did you drink? My God," Tempest muttered.

"Only… Eight cups. That was _damn _good wine," Lord Hector slurred and Tempest nodded.

"Of course it was… Of course it was," she replied and then helped him out into the cold night air and down towards the silent tents that still fluttered in the wind. When the reached their own tent, Tempest helped Lord Hector onto his own cot, careful not to wake up Jamal and Venice in the process. It seemed that Lord Hector had stopped trying to fight it, and as soon as he closed his eyes, small snores came from the side of his open mouth.

After she was done pulling the blankets over him she sighed deeply and then walked outside to look over the waves that sparkled in the moonlight. She knew that everyone would start talking. Hell, they already had at dinner. But she also knew that she had to buck up and swallow down her own advice. Keep quiet until she showed them just what she was made of.

And that was exactly what she was going to do.

**Reviews are as good as dancing to good folk music :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you to the people who have reviewed already :) I hope I continue to do a good job :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Narnia or any of it's amazing characters... I did however catch a frog today... It was pretty gross.. but kinda cool I guess..**

**Enjoy :)**

4

Tempest was woken up by a firm shake of her shoulder.

"What? What do you want?" she asked in a groggy voice as she turned over on her back and tried to see through the darkness that still was present.

"It's time to train, get up," Venice's voice said softly, but still commanding. I let out a soft groan.

"The sun isn't even up!" she muttered angrily, but grudgingly got out of bed. As Venice walked over to the entrance of the tent she pulled on a new pair of leggings, a loose cotton shirt, and her well worn leather boots. She followed Venice's foot prints and walked out of the tent and into what was still, the moonlight. Venice was standing just a few steps away and Tempest yawned and rubbed her eyes as she approached him.

"What is the meaning of this? Couldn't this wait until morning?" she asked in a snippy voice. Venice's face remained calm. That was one of the most interesting things about him. No matter what, Venice Colton never seemed to lose his temper.

"It is morning," he said and Tempest shot him a glare.

"Fine then, why couldn't this have waited until the _sun was up?" _she refined her question with a roll of her eyes.

"All of the other Lords and Ladies did not get back to their tents until just an hour ago. They won't be up until the afternoon," he said and gave her a look.

"Oh, head start. I understand now… So what are we doing? Considering we'll have to be quiet. Not sure how many other like me as it is, so I don't want to get any more marks on my record," Tempest stated slowly. It was true that she didn't want them to dislike her. She knew that what she did wasn't exactly normal, but it wasn't to be frowned upon.

"We're stamina and strength training, and then we will take out Squall and work on aim and balance," Venice stated matter-of-factly.

"Wow… Did you stay up all night planning this?" Tempest asked him with a sarcastic flare.

"It's eight miles to the Rush River. Go," Venice said to her without answering her rhetorical question, and without putting up anymore fuss, Tempest began to run.

* * *

><p>By the time Tempest made it to the rushing river, her lungs were burning and her legs were trembling.<p>

"That was _AWFUL. _I hate running. What's the point? There are no marathons in this tournament!" Tempest growled angrily at her trainer who had an equal amount of sweat on his brow and his large chest heaved just as much.

"It's not a matter of out running them, but when you are fighting against them, you will need to have security that you will have a chance of outlasting them. They are large brutes, and moving fast is hard for them. If you can outlast them, then you can beat them," Venice said to her with a wise look in his eyes. Tempest just stared at him for a moment and then shook her head. She dropped to her knees and drank in a handful of water before she was yanked up by Venice's hand on her arm.

"Ouch! I'm thirsty! I'm practicing how to _out drink _them," she scoffed at him and he looked at her evenly.

"You'll get a cramp. And I will accept any complaining. If you want to have a chance at doing this, then you will continue to do it my way. Let's go," he said to her in a level voice and she groaned again.

"Fine, then! Let's just kill Tempest before the tournament has even begun! What a bloody _brilliant _idea!" she shouted at him again, but once again she started running.

The sun had risen above the horizon by the time Venice and Tempest had reached the beach below Cair Paravel once more. They were both drenched in sweat and Tempest's body was aching and begging for relief at that point, however she had been motivated by Venice's words to persist. He had a way of doing that too her.

When they finally came to a stop outside of their tent, Venice nodded to her.

"Good, you can go cool off if you'd like," he said as he waved a hand towards the now sparkling water of the ocean.

"Oh thank you!" Tempest muttered under her breath in excitement as she shed her boots and began walking towards the water. The sky was a bright orange color that eventually blended into a softer pink, and then a blue. The sun cast its light on the water making it almost too much too look at, however Tempest continued until the water was up to her thighs.

She dipped her hands into the refreshingly cool water and then pulled them up and splashed her face. Her hair was down still and she pulled her wet fingers through it in an attempt to make it seem cleaner than it actually was. When she was done and her breathing had been regulated once more, she walked back up to the shore and to the tent where Venice was now standing next to a very sleepy looking Jamal who had her bow and arrows in his arms.

"How nice to see your eager and smiling face, finally!" Tempest snickered at the small boy who only looked at her with tired eyes.

"Thought we could use someone to retrieve your missed shots," Venice said calmly and Tempest shot him a frown.

"Thank you for having so much faith in me," she replied sarcastically.

Venice shrugged, "You know you need to work on your shots as well as I do."

"Yeah, but you don't have to be so blatant about it," she muttered under her breath as she took the quiver of arrows from Jamal and slung it over her back, "Shall we?"

Venice nodded and they all started walking back through the tents towards the grassy green hills that Tempest had walked up the night before.

They walked directly into the large stone stables that were connected to large stone wall surrounding Cair Paravel. The door had been unlocked and inside there were fauns and other creatures tending to all of the horses brought from other countries. Tempest nodded at a few of them and she was pleasantly surprised that none of them gave her a curious or disdainful look. So far she liked the Narnians best.

They walked down the length of the barn until they got to the last stall on the right which had a tag on the stall door that read: _Redhaven, Lord Hector. _Tempest undid the bolt and slid the door to the side revealing a well built gray horse with a black mane. The horse whinnied, startled by the sudden intrusion, however when Tempest whispered a few words to him, he calmed down slightly. She put the bridle on and led him out of the stall and tied him up in the hall then tacked him up quickly.

"Ready?" Venice asked as Tempest untied Squall and nodded. When she was outside of the stable she pulled herself up into the saddle and the group started walking towards the practice range.

* * *

><p>"Again, do it again!" Venice said with a commanding voice and Tempest sighed angrily as she turned Squall around and walked him back to the starting line. She had missed all five of the targets. She had not hit <em>one <em>of them, and she was starting to get very angry about it.

"Take a deep breath, loosen your shoulders, tighten your abdomen, and aim. Do not think about anything else, alight? Try it again!" Venice called to her from his spot on the side of the range underneath a tall oak tree.

"That's what I _have _been doing, and in case you didn't notice, it's _not working!" _Tempest muttered angrily under her breath, and then she squeezed her legs a bit and Squall began to trot, she squeezed a little tighter and he began to run. As he ran, she knocked an arrow and took aim with her bow at the target. As soon as she let go, she knew it was a miss.

Her teeth ground together as she neared the next target and she knocked another arrow and took a deep breath, relaxed her shoulders, took aim and…. Missed… _Again_.

"God damn!" she whispered in exasperation and she slowed down Squall to a walk. She was done. As she turned around she saw Venice talking to Jamal under the tree and she walked the horse over to them.

"Take a small break, I'll go and get something for you to eat," Venice said calmly as he turned to walk towards the camp again. Tempest nodded as she swung her legs over Squall and landed on the ground. She rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck as she took the quiver of arrows off of her back and tossed them to the ground in a pile with her bow. She tied up Squall to a low branch on another tree and then walked over to Jamal and unceremoniously dropped to the ground.

"It was awful… I know it was," Tempest sighed as she flung her arm over her eyes to block out the light and the lying face of the thirteen year old.

"Well…." He began to start, but then he hesitated. Tempest groaned, having her thoughts confirmed. She stood no chance against the other knights who had actually done this all of their life. On horseback, it wasn't a matter of outlasting the competitor… It was a matter of actually having talent.

It was quiet between the two of them and finally Jamal broke through the awkward silence.

"So how was the feast last night?" he asked quietly and Tempest sighed.

"The usual looks… Hector got drunk… Oh and I met… Queen Lucy…. Dammit!" Tempest let out a sudden yell as she sat upright and looked hard at the now blue and clear sky.

"What? What?" Jamal tensed as he searched the skies as well.

"What time is it, you think?" she asked as she stared at Jamal.

"Uhhh… Probably around nine in the morning?" he asked, unsure of himself.

"Do you think that the royals are up?" Tempest continued.

"I don't see how it matters to-"

"DO YOU?" Tempest cut off Jamal with a yell and he shrugged.

"I don't know! _Why _does it matter?" he asked in complete confusion. Tempest let out a sigh as she ran her hand through her hair.

"Queen Lucy invited me to tea today… I said I'd reply in the morning…" Tempest said slowly and it was quiet for another beat. Then suddenly, Jamal erupted into laughter. Tempest's eyebrows came together as she glared at the boy.

"What, exactly, do you find so funny about this?" Tempest asked him with a growing irritation.

"You… Going to tea? That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of! I don't think you've ever even _had _tea!" Jamal kept laughing while Tempest continued glaring. Suddenly a deeper voice interrupted them.

"What happened?" Venice asked slowly and Tempest whipped around to see him.

"Oh, good! You're here! Alright, so I just remembered that I sort of told Queen Lucy the Valiant that I might have tea with her today…." She said to her trainer with a slightly sheepish smile on her face. Venice seemed to mull over what she had just said to him, and then he nodded to her.

"Tell her that you can go…" he said and Tempest's mouth dropped open.

"Excuse me? You aren't going to say something along the lines of, 'we have more practice to do today'?" she asked in disbelief.

"No… I think it will be a good opportunity…" he said slowly and both Jamal and Tempest exchanged looks.

"Opportunity for _what?" _Jamal asked.

"To learn some manners," Venice said and once more Jamal began to laugh while Tempest stared at him with an open mouth.

"You can't be serious! I have plenty of manners! You should've seen me last night at the dinner!" she countered quickly and Venice nodded.

"Oh yes, I heard all about that…" he said, and she looked down at the ground, unsure of what she had done wrong, "Just trust me, Tempest… I haven't steered you wrong yet, right?"

Tempest sighed, "I suppose."

"Good. Then you, boy, go to Cair Paravel and tell the Queen that her invitation has been accepted and that Miss Tempest will be there at noon," Venice said directly too Jamal who was now nodding vigorously as he got up to his feet and started towards the shining castle. Tempest and Venice watched as he walked at a leisurely pace and Venice sighed.

"I suggest you _run," _he called out loudly too the young boy who quickly picked up his pace and started running on his gangly legs. Tempest watched him run for a few moments and then looked back at Venice.

"This can't just be about me learning manners. I'm pretty sure that I won't need to know which spoon I need to use to eat my soup with when I'm about to fight someone…" she trailed off slowly and Venice eyed here carefully.

"You're right, but it might do you some good to get to know Queen Lucy… Perhaps get some sympathy on your side from an influential figure," he replied.

"Yeah, considering that the other women attending this tournament think I'm an improper, un-ladylike, disappointment of a Lady…" she sighed, expecting Venice to comfort her. He did no such thing and she sighed as she lay back, closing her eyes. It was quiet between the pair of them, and only when Squall whinnied loudly a long while later did Tempest open her eyes and sit up.

Jamal came to a jerking stop near them, his chest heaving with his labored breathing and he bent over with his hands on his knees to try and regulate his breath.

"Well then, what did she say?" Tempest asked him impatiently.

"Can't you let me relax for a moment?" he asked her with a gasp of air.

"No. Never, now tell me what she said," she replied quickly.

"Alright… her ladies maid said that you were too meet Her Majesty in the Eastern courtyard for some tea… And to wear something presentable," he said slowly and then collapsed to the ground in a heap.

"Well that's not too horrible… Wait! Lord Hector spilled wine on my dress last night! I won't have time to wash it… Now what am I going to do?" Tempest asked with a look towards Venice. He was quiet for a moment while he looked at Jamal who was still crumpled in a ball on the ground then he turned to look back at Tempest.

"I suppose you'll just have to wear some… Nice training clothes?" he asked, and Tempest was taken back for a second. Venice never sounded unsure. And if Venice sounded unsure, then sure as Hell that made Tempest even more nervous.

This was going to be a disaster. She could already tell…

**Getting Reviews is better than going for an 8 mile run :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks to the people who have reviewed :) It lets me know I'm doing something right at least! :P**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Chronicles of Narnia... But I did just take a Math final that I am positive I failed.. Awesome. **

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5

"Okay so what exactly do I do again?" Tempest asked and Venice sighed.

"Just…. Don't interrupt Her Majesty, always curtsy, and be on your best behavior. That means no swearing or threatening people. Got it?" he asked her and she nodded slowly. This was going to be almost painful.

She had changed into a new pair of black leggings and she had found one of her tunics that she used for her relaxation days between her competitions. It was a deep forest green, and she had tried cleaning the mud and debris from the woods off of her leather boots. She had fully washed her hair, however it had been in the ocean without any soap, and she had found a decent length of leather that she used to tie her hair back.

As she and Venice had started walking up the hill towards the castle some of the other Lords and knights were just rising to the late morning sun, stretching and yawning and looking around with dazed eyes. They all looked so relaxed from sleeping in, meanwhile Tempest's body was sore from her run and she still was not feeling pleased with herself for missing so many targets earlier. Not to mention she was about to go and have tea for the first time in her life and it was going to be with a _Queen. _A Queen that expected her to tell a wonderfully entertaining story, but it wasn't as simple as that.

There were many parts of the story that Tempest knew weren't suitable to talk about in front of a queen. Lust and bloody fights and not to mention swearing…

"What am I supposed to do about—"Tempest began but Venice held up a hand.

"I already explained the different spoons," he said to her and she rolled her eyes.

"I wasn't going to say that! What I was going to ask was how I am supposed to tell Queen Lucy the story if there are certain… parts. That aren't… shall we say… _tame," _she trailed off and Venice just looked at her for a moment.

"Tell her the truth…" he said simply and she groaned.

"Didn't you just tell me to _not _swear?" she asked him with slight anger.

"Yes, but that was different. I was talking about the swearing I heard on our voyage here when you were around the crew members," he replied and she rolled her eyes.

"Obviously I'm not going to tell Queen Lucy to "Move her ass and hoist the god damn sail!". We're having tea… Not going through a storm," Tempest said to her trainer who only gave her a doubtful look as they walked into the large front courtyard. Now that it was lighter out, Tempest could see what looked like apple trees in the gardens that cascaded down the Cliffside, however she didn't have much time to look at them before Venice cleared his throat and walked with her inside the palace.

There weren't as many guards standing in the hall as there had been the night before, but that was due to the guests, Tempest assumed. There were maids in starched white aprons bustling around with sheets and vases of freshly cut flowers, and Venice made his way up to one.

"Excuse me, Miss. Could you tell me where I might find Queen Lucy?" he asked casually and Tempest had to restrain herself from laughing at her trainer. He made it sound as if he and the Queen were old friends. The maid scrutinized him for a moment, making sure that he didn't seem like a psychopath. Apparently he did.

"I shall have her lady's maid tell her of your arrival. What is your name, Sir?" she asked.

"Tell her that Miss Tempest Avalon is here for tea," he said and with a small nod the maid hurried off to go and find the Queen.

"Perhaps is too busy and she won't be able to make it… What a shame that would be," Tempest muttered quietly to herself, although when Venice gave her a disapproving look she knew he had heard her, "What? You can't blame me for not wanting to be here… Sure I'm not a totally unruly and disrespectful person, but I seriously think that you are over-estimating my abilities to use social etiquette."

"I told you before, this is a good opportunity for some sympathy," Venice said to her quietly as he admired the carvings in the wall that Tempest had already seen.

"I don't need sympathy… I need a strategy… One that doesn't involve me seeming like the innocent girl who was forced into fighting against men," she shot back at him and he gave her a serious look.

"I doubt that anyone would believe the story that you were _forced _into competing. Not with the amount of fire they saw last night," he said to her and she narrowed her eyes at him, but let the subject drop. It was true that she willingly fought against men. She wasn't exactly brought up in a "proper" setting. There was no need for etiquette on an island that had barely 300 people living on it and a tavern every 100 feet. Running around barefoot and playing in the dirt with other children was normal; it didn't matter if you were a girl or a boy.

"Just _try _to remember that you aren't in Redhaven. You are in a castle and you are being watched," he said quietly to her again and she sighed.

"How could I forget? But really, thank you for inspiring so much courage," she said to him and then from behind her she heard a woman clear her throat. She turned around to see a slim, middle aged woman with graying hair that was pulled back in a tight bun and a face composed of all sharp angles.

"Miss Avalon?" she asked as she eyed me reproachfully.

"Yes?" I asked as I stepped forward.

"Her Majesty will see you now," she said in a stiff voice and all Tempest could manage was a nod. The older woman started walking away and with a quick glance at Venice she followed her down the long corridors of the castle. There was no talking, only the snapping of the bottom of their shoes on the shiny marble floors. Tempest looked around at the ceiling high windows that had light streaming in through them and the golden statues that lined the hall. To think that someone lived here was completely ridiculous. Tempest barely managed to find her way around Lord Hector's two story home back in Redhaven, a _castle _was a bit intimidating in fact.

Who knew Tempest Avalon would be intimidated by a building…

Suddenly the woman stopped in front of a heavy looking wooden door with a golden doorknob and she turned to look at Tempest.

"Do not speak to Her Majesty unless you have been spoken too first, you curtsy too her upon entering and do not be too friendly with her. I'm sure this is nothing like where you've been brought up," she said with a slightly condescending voice. Tempest held her tongue against what the woman had said and only nodded her head slowly. The woman knocked sharply on the door once and a young voice called for them to enter.

The door opened to reveal a small library with a few chairs sitting near a fireplace that currently had no fire inside of it however the youngest queen was sitting comfortably in one of the chairs. Immediately Tempest felt stupid for her outfit of choice when she saw that Queen Lucy was wearing an elegant lavender colored dress that flowed down to the floor and looked both formal and comfortable. She looked up with youthful eyes and a bright smile on her face.

"Hello Miss Tempest! I'm so happy you could come today. Thank you, Mrs. Copland," the young Queen nodded to the older woman who nodded and curtsied to Queen Lucy and eyed Tempest before she turned and closed the door behind Tempest who still was frozen in the door. Sure she had joked around with Jamal before coming here about how she didn't want to go, but now that she was actually here, the impact of just what she was doing here hit her with full force.

"Why don't you come and sit here with me, the tea should be ready in a few moments… I thought we could have it out in the gardens, it is such a nice day," Queen Lucy smiled at Tempest and all of a sudden she remembered all of the advice she had gotten. She dipped into a curtsy and nodded to the Queen.

"Thank you, your Majesty," she said as she walked over to the other chair and sat herself down on it. Queen Lucy continued smiling at Tempest, and while she tried to return the smile, she only felt her stomach begin to feel upset.

"How did you enjoy the feast last night? You left quite early compared to the other Lords and Ladies," the Queen said slowly.

_My guardian is a fool when he gets drunk and I was getting the evil eye from every woman that was there… _

"Lord Hector was not feeling well and I took him back to the tent, however I had a very grand time. I suppose the rumors saying that Narnians are very hospitable are true," she said carefully and Lucy nodded contently. A silence fell over them and Tempest looked around the small library.

Books were crammed on all of the shelves that covered three of the four walls, and there were two very large windows that let the sunlight come into the room. The chairs were covered in a satiny bronze fabric that was extremely smooth to the touch. She was quickly brought out of her examination of the room when Queen Lucy addressed her again.

"So, Miss Tempest, tell me about your homeland. I've never actually sailed to Redhaven. I'm quite certain that my brothers have gone though," she smiled pleasantly at Tempest who nodded slowly.

"Yes, I can remember then visiting for a few days… It was a few years ago, so I don't quite remember…" she trailed off and Queen Lucy nodded to her.

"Is Redhaven a beautiful place?" she asked.

_Sure… If you like sweaty men, lots of drinking, and dirty children._

"Redhaven is…. Not like Narnia I'm afraid… There aren't too many people living on the island, so everyone is close. The women are always cooking something and the men work very hard for their families, and the children all play together. There is not much of a "high society". Everyone is equal," she said wistfully, thinking about her home and all of her friends that were still there. Unlike some of the other countries, the people of Redhaven did not have enough money to have some people travel to Narnia to watch the competitions and support Tempest; however they all wished her luck. They all had faith in her.

"It sounds very nice there. You think of your home the way I think of Narnia," the young Queen smiled at Tempest who for once gave her an honest smile back. Perhaps this wasn't going to be as painful as she had thought.

"How old are you?" the Queen asked as she looked at Tempest's face.

"I turned nineteen a few months ago, your Majesty," she replied casually, although the formal name for the young girl in front of her was something she was not quite used too yet.

"You are only a year older than Edmund!" Queen Lucy smiled at Tempest who looked at her with a bit of confusion, then realized she was talking about her brother.

"And you are the youngest?" Tempest dared to asked, not sure of how her question would be received.

"Yes, I am sixteen this year, always the youngest," she chuckled a little bit to herself as if she was thinking of something. Tempest however was stunned. This girl in front of her, this _Queen _none the less, was three years younger than her. It was almost unbelievable because of all the maturity and grace that she carried herself with. For a moment Tempest felt intimidated, however she tried to brush it back. Tempest wasn't a Queen. Her life was different. She didn't have to worry about acting with grace and maturity… Unless she was having afternoon tea with a Queen that is…

There was a sudden knock on the door again.

"Come in," Queen Lucy called in her light voice and the door opened to reveal the ever-stern Mrs. Copland.

"The tea is ready, Your Majesty," she said as she curtsied and Queen Lucy smiled.

"Lovely! Shall we, Miss Tempest?" she asked with a bright smile. And Tempest only nodded too the girl as she rose, and Tempest followed quickly as she walked out of the room.

"I am so excited to hear your story!" Queen Lucy piped up and gained a new sparkle in her eye. She may have been a Queen, but Tempest could see that she was still just a young girl and she loved things that all young girls did… Well… _some _young girls at least.

They walked through the halls again except they turned down a new corridor and Queen Lucy led Tempest out onto an open balcony that had stone steps leading down towards what she could now confirm was an apple orchard. Queen Lucy did not stop in the orchard as they walked among the fragrant trees and finally they passed out of the rows of fruit trees and stepped into a grassy terrace that had a small glass table set up upon the thick green grass. There was a shining silver tea set upon the top of the table and two chairs sitting across from each other. Tempest could see the ocean over the ledge of the terrace only a few meters away and the sun was high and hot, but the cool breeze from the water kept the heat at bay. Flowers lined the grass around the terrace in all different shapes and vibrant colors and the air smelled pleasantly of the sea and the flower's fragrances mixed together.

Tempest waited until the Queen had sat down and then she took her seat across from her. She looked down at the setting in front of her and almost let out a shout of relief to see that there was only one spoon that she had to worry about.

"Would you like some tea before you start?" the Queen asked and Tempest remembered once again that she was here to tell a story.

"Yes, please," she said softly and Queen Lucy smiled at her then picked up a silver tea cup from the tray and poured some steaming liquid into it.

"Cream and sugar?" she asked without looking up as she fixed another cup and Tempest was thrown off for a moment.

"I suppose so, yes," she said hesitantly and Queen Lucy laughed a little bit as she looked at Tempest.

"Oh Miss Tempest, you make it seem like you've never been to tea before," she laughed and her eyes sparkled with humor. Tempest tried to force out a laugh as she swallowed hard. She felt her face burn up. Yes, she was embarrassed about this. Would the Queen think of her as a disappointment of a Lady now that she knew that she had never been brought up with the guidance of other women around her? She watched with a small bit of fear in her stomach as Queen Lucy's face fell into realization.

"You've never been to tea before, have you Miss Tempest," she stated, not even questioning her any longer.

"No, I'm afraid not Your Majesty. I suppose that when I was training I had never had time for a tea break… I had always run to the river and taken a drink from there. Otherwise I would just go down to the tavern," as soon as the words were out of her mouth Tempest looked at Queen Lucy in fear. Now she had done it. Now she had really revealed that she was not the proper lady that the Queen had assumed her to be. However instead of asking her to leave, Queen Lucy's eyes lit up as she smiled and then began to laugh.

Tempest's eyebrows came together as she turned and looked over her shoulder to make sure that no one was standing behind her. She turned back to the young Queen who was still smiling at her.

"Tempest, I really must admit that you are unlike any other Lady I have ever met," she smiled at Tempest who was still a bit dumbstruck.

"I'm not quite a Lady, your Highness, just a fighter," Tempest said and Queen Lucy nodded.

"And a story teller as well? I would still very much like to hear this story from your home," she said with a smile and Tempest smiled a little bit herself as she nodded and then gave the Queen another look.

"It all started with a young boy named Ason Amendez. He was born on the small island of Redhaven, and as a boy he would always play by the sea…

_ Ason was very entranced by the sea. He loved the way it moved and how the tides never failed to come in and go back out. As he got older, he grew into a very strong and handsome young man from his work on his family's farm and from his job that he had acquired on the docks, unloading the ships that came in from sea. He was just an ordinary boy, however he longed for an adventure. He wished to be able to sail into the sunset and find excitement wherever he went. _

_ One day as he was working on the docks, a ship came into port looking to be in very poor condition. The mast was torn and the railings were battered. From the ship stumbled off a young woman of great beauty who looked just as tattered as the boat. She had tears in her eyes as she walked down the docks. And Ason, being brought up a gentleman was kind enough to ask her what made her cry. She then began to tell him all about the storm her family's ship had gotten stuck in and how they had landed on a small island. When her father and two brothers decided to go and look for food and water, they left her on the ship. She waited until nightfall, and there still had been no sign of their return. She continued to wait for two more days until she assumed all hope was lost. As she had prepared her own boat to row ashore, she heard a terrible, fearsome roar coming from deep within the mountains on the island. The roar alone instilled so much fear in her heart that she found she could not leave the boat. So she put her skills that her brothers and father had taught her, because they were men of the sea, and she sailed North in hopes of finding land, and that was how she had gotten there. _

_ Ason was saddened to hear of this beautiful girl's tragedy and he asked her what her name was. She replied and told him that it was Lasoriel. He brought her back to his home where his mother helped her wash and feel more at ease. However she would not stop crying, for her sadness washed away all other feelings. Ason's heart ached for this girl and all that she had lost, and he asked her if there was anything that he might do to help ease her pain. She spoke very clearly and looked directly into his eyes when she spoke to him and said "Find my family." _

_ Ason was so surprised, and confused, however he was certain that this was his chance at finding adventure. He finally would be able to go out to see and explore the world and of course, find Lasoriel's family, and if he could not, then he would avenge them. He promised her that he would look for her family, and she was overjoyed. She told him that he might be able to use her ship if he could fix it. He laughed at her, quite certain that he would indeed be able to fix it. Over the next few weeks…_

"Lucy?" A male voice called out loud from somewhere nearby and Tempest stopped telling her story. Queen Lucy's face looked irritated for a brief moment before she called back to the voice.

"What have you been doing this whole time, Lucy? I have matters I need to discuss with you!" said the voice and as the body attached to it came around the corner Tempest's heart sank. The High King stood there looking at both her and his Royal sister.

"I told you this morning that Miss Avalon would be joining me for tea," Queen Lucy sighed impatiently as she looked at her brother.

"Miss Avalon?" he asked slowly as he looked at Tempest and it grew quiet for a moment before Tempest realized with a gasp that he was talking to her.

"Yes. Yes! Oh, yeah, I am Lord Hector's fighter in the tournament, Your Majesty," Tempest said quickly blushing bright red with embarrassment… That definitely could've gone much smoother.

"Ah, right. I remember now," he said as he eyed her for another brief moment with either disdain or curiousness, Tempest couldn't quite decide, "Well, Lucy, I need to speak with you about certain matters, so, if you'll excuse us," the High King said a bit abruptly looking to Tempest again who could only think about how rude he seemed for a moment however once again she held her tongue. She at least knew not to lash out at the High King of a country. That rule was a give-in.

Queen Lucy sighed again and looked to Tempest who looked back at her.

"Thank you for coming today, Miss Tempest, perhaps you could come again sometime and finish the story? It seems very intriguing so far," she said with a light smile and Tempest nodded.

"Of course, your Majesty," she said and then watched as the Queen stood up. Tempest quickly stood up after her and curtsied as best as she could before she watched the young Queen and the High King walk away through the apple orchards without another word.

Tempest let out a loud gust of air, a breath that she was unaware that she was holding in. That had not been as painful as she had thought… In fact, it had gone quite swimmingly in her opinion. She smirked a little bit to herself. And Venice said that she didn't have any manners! Hah! How wrong was he! She looked back to the table and found her still full cup of tea. She hadn't wanted to say no to the Queen's offer, however she'd never had tea before and didn't want to taste it in front of her incase she did not like it at all.

She looked over her shoulders around the gardens for a moment to make sure that she was completely alone then she looked back to the table and picked up the delicate looking silver cup. She brought it slowly too her lips and then took in a decent sized amount of liquid, swishing it around her mouth, getting the taste out of it. Once she swallowed she stood for a moment tasting the sweet and herbal hints in the liquid. She nodded her head with an approving look as she placed the cup back down.

"Not that bad…" she said to herself as she turned and walked towards the balcony that she had first come down to the gardens from. Showing herself out of the giant castle, hoping that she would not get lost in its twisting and turning corridors.

Hector and Venice would not be happy if she was eternally lost in Cair Paravel.

**Reviews are better than a hot cup of tea! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello there all, sorry about the delayed update! I've been going mad trying to get ready for the 4th of July :) It's my favorite holiday :) Anyway, sorry that this chapter is pretty short. My whole family is visiting from out of state and I haven't seen them since LAST July, so I'm sure you can understand that I've been a bit busy :) I thought that I'd try to get in a new point of view in this chapter... Please tell me if you like it or not, I'm just kind of trying new things and see what works best with the story :) I'm sure you want to read now, so I'll shut up!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia, but I do own a TON of 4th of July stuff including red & blue fake eyelashes :D**

6

Peter P.O.V

"Lucy?" the High King called out in his deep voice. He knew she was around here somewhere, the garden was her favorite place and he could recall her saying something about tea there this afternoon. He hated disturbing her, but there were more pressing matters at hand.

As he walked among the freshly scented apple trees he finally heard someone talking… However it did not sound like his royal sister at all.

"Lucy?" he called again and he heard the voice stop talking, then his sister's voice replied.

"Yes, Peter?" she asked. Peter sighed as he started towards the voice.

"What have you been doing this whole time, Lucy? I have matters I need to discuss with you!" he replied as he rounded the last corner and saw his sister with an irritated expression sitting across from the same penny haired girl from last night… Oh blast! What was her name again?

Lucy gave him a slightly irritated look, "I told you this morning that Miss Avalon would be joining me for tea."

"Miss Avalon?" the King looked to the girl, sitting across from his sister. That was absolutely no help to only remember her last name. Perhaps it began with a G… Or maybe it started with a K?

The girl started suddenly as if she suddenly realized that I had asked her name and she lowered her eyes to the ground at my feet as she spoke, "Yes. Yes! Oh, yeah, I am Lord Hector's fighter in the tournament, Your Majesty."

A small blush stained her slightly tanned skin that he noticed was covered in a tunic and pants. How absolutely improper! But then again, the idea of a girl fighting against men in a tournament was entirely ludicrous.

"Ah, right. I remember now," he replied trying to sound more curious than disdainful. He was not in the mood to make any enemies so early into the tournament, "Well, Lucy, I need to speak with you about certain matters, so, if you'll excuse us," even Peter realized that the statement was a little abrupt. For a moment he felt bad, but then he remembered the matter at hand and decided that he was a King, and he was perfectly in the right to ask his sister to speak with him.

Lucy sighed as she looked to Miss Avalon and gave her a small smile, "Thank you for coming today, Miss Tempest, perhaps you could come again sometime and finish the story? It seems very intriguing so far," she said to the girl who looked back at her and nodded slowly.

"Of course, you're Majesty," she replied as Lucy stood up, and Miss Avalon quickly followed and gave the young Queen a decent curtsy. The young Queen then stepped up next to her brother and began to walk with him back into the apple orchards.

"You really know how to ruin a decent time, don't you Peter?" she huffed at her brother, a little put-out that she had not gotten to hear the rest of the story. Peter restrained himself from rolling his eyes at his sister. She was sixteen and she was still acting like a child who had not gotten to finish their bed-time story.

"I'm sorry, Lu, but I think that what I have to say is a little more important," he replied and she just sighed again. They did not speak the rest of the way into the castle and they expertly walked down the winding corridors towards Peter's study where he assumed Edmund and Susan were already waiting for them. Briefly he wondered how that Avalon girl would get back to her tent however he pushed it away quickly. The girl who thought she could beat men was not important at the moment.

Finally the pair of them made it to a large oak door with a golden Lion's head as the door handle. Peter opened the door and let his sister into the room ahead of him. Just as he predicted his two other siblings were already inside the study. The walls of his study were a light sky blue, and the bookcases, fireplace, and most other decorations were a shimmering golden color. Everything was adorned in blue and gold, which matched the golden crown that sat on the High King's head. Books filled the bookshelves with information on anything that would help the King and two couches sat in front of the large fireplace.

Peter went to sit behind his desk as Lucy sat down on one of the couches next to Susan, meanwhile Edmund stood with one arm resting on the stone mantel of the fireplace.

"Why have you called us, Peter?" Susan asked slowly, her voice always carrying a slight air of politeness. Peter sighed as he looked at both of his sisters.

"Some of the knights have taken a liking to the both of you and have been asking to try and court you," he said with a calm air and just as he predicted the two sister's reactions were nothing alike.

"Well that's not that bad," Susan replied with a small little smile as she brushed a hand through her extremely long raven black hair. Mean while Lucy's face was pinched in distaste.

"No! You can't let that happen!" Lucy cried out as she gave her other brother a desperate look. Edmund looked from his youngest sister back to his brother.

"Is there nothing we can do to stop it?" Edmund asked carefully and Peter shook his head.

"I'm afraid not," he said slowly and looked at his two sisters. He knew that the world wouldn't stop for him, but he always wanted them to be safe. And in the hands of some of the other knights competing was definitely not as safe for his liking. Not all men treated women the way that the Narnians did. They looked at women as mere objects of pleasure and company rather than a decent and intelligent mind.

"Well there goes a good day, washed down the drain," Lucy huffed as she flopped back against the couch with her arms crossed over her chest. For a moment Peter felt bad and then he remembered who she had been visiting with earlier.

"Hey, Lucy? Did you learn anything interesting about that female competitor?" Peter asked slowly and Lucy gave him a strange look, however Susan gasped slightly and put a hand over her heart and Edmund gaped at him like a fish out of water.

"That is preposterous! There are no female competitors," Edmund quickly composed himself and stated clearly to Peter, however his brother gave him no look to say that he was only kidding.

"Apparently there are…" Peter replied.

"Surely this is a mistake, Peter. She's probably just a lady of a visiting court, what's her name again?" Susan said trying to convince herself. Peter just shook his head but Lucy interrupted him before he could reply to Susan.

"Her name is Tempest Avalon, she's going to fight for Lord Hector of Redhaven," she said with some sort of a snap to her voice, and with that the entire room grew silent.

* * *

><p>"So what was she like?"<p>

"What did you tell her?"

"Did she seem sympathetic?"

"SHUT UP!" Tempest roared over Lord Hector and Jamal. As soon as she had stepped foot into the tent they had been asking her questions nonstop and she had barely gotten to answer any of them because they kept firing away. The tent was silent and Venice seemed to be looking on the scene with a slightly amused expression. If Venice could ever _look _amused.

"Now then, I will answer one question at a time, and no one will interrupt or else I won't tell you anything at all," she continued and the tent was still silent in agreement, "Alright, well. I suppose that Lucy was just like a monarch? She had the manners down to a T and she was very pleasant to be around… If she didn't like me, which is sort of possible, she didn't show it at all… I told her the story and she asked about Redhaven and what it was like and I told her how it was different. I didn't exactly want to lie to her because I actually wanted to keep my head on my neck, thank you very much. And as for the sympathy part, I don't really know because I didn't have time to get to any sympathy inducing topics…" after finishing Tempest let out a deep breath and looked at the still quiet figures in front of her.

"Interesting," Lord Hector mused to himself as he looked over at Venice who didn't say anything, but that really wasn't out of the ordinary. Meanwhile Jamal just looked at Tempest with a curious expression.

"What is it Jamal?" she asked with a sigh and he looked down at the ground, his ears getting slightly pink.

"She didn't ask about me, did she?" he asked slowly and Tempest smiled a little bit at the blushing boy.

"She's at least three years older than you, plus she is a Queen… come on Jamal. Let's be serious about this," Tempest smirked at him but instantly regretted it when she saw the small boy's face fall. She hated to see him like that, but she also did not want to inspire false hope. There were some things in this world that a person could get if they worked hard and were determined, however there were also things that a person like her or Jamal would never be able to have. A member of any royal family returning special feelings definitely fell under the "_Impossible" _category.

"As much as I think your conversation is productive, Tempest it's time for you to look over your competitors. You've delayed it long enough," Lord Hector said as he gave her a meaningful look. Tempest groaned. The last thing she wanted to do at this point was sit in their tiny tent and read about older men who she would have to fight against, "Don't give me that look, you want a chance in these games, right?"

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't," Tempest looked at him and shrugged however he just shot her another stern look, "Ugh, _fine _I'll look over the blasted papers," Tempest sighed impatiently as she strode up to the table and picked up a promising looking piece of paper on which she read all of her competitors names and who they belonged too.

_High King Peter representing Narnia_

_King Edmund representing Narnia_

_General Oreius representing Narnia_

_Sir Bane representing Narnia_

_Lord Peridon from Archenland represented by Sir Luca_

_Lord Ostodor from Archenland represented by Sir Brandall_

_Lord Niscem from Archenland represented by Sir Callin_

_King Lune from Archenland represented by Prince Cor_

_Lord Magenon from Calormen represented b y Sir Mordem_

_Lord Raszell from Calormen represented by Sir Taejon_

_Lord Venturim from Calormen represented by Sir Kale_

_Lord Cavenei from Calormen represented by Sir Demakis_

_Lord Prussial from Calormen represented by Sir Osten_

_Lord Bandaise from the Lone Islands represented by Sir Faulkner_

_Lord Garldie from the Lone Islands represented by Sir Prescott_

_Lord Broscell from the Lone Islands represented by Sir Veina_

_Lord Zeeman from Telmar represented by Sir Davin_

_Lord Urdaine from Telmar represented by Sir Relatza_

_Lord Legurn from Telmar represented by Sir Donnen_

_Lord Ragamon from Galma represented by Sir Urod_

_Lord Vesuva from Galma represented by Sir Leban_

_Lord Riviee from Galma represented by Sir Septimus_

_Lord Josphen from Terebinthia represented by Sir Pescime_

_Lord Cavelon from Terebinthia represented by Sir Valdeve_

_Lord Hector from the Seven Isles represented by Lady Tempest_

"There I'm done," Tempest sighed as she tossed the paper back onto the table. Venice and Lord Hector both gave her a stern look at the same time. "What? I know who I'm competing against now!" she said and Lord Hector just sighed and ran a hand over his face.

"Good luck to you, my dear," he said as he walked past her and out of the tent. She looked back at Venice only to find that he was walking towards the tent opening as well, and he left without a word.

"Well okay then, just ditch us, it's really okay," Tempest muttered after them as she looked at the papers on the table then at the small boy who still seemed to be sulking in the corner, "Hey, want to go look around?" Tempest asked the boy who just looked up and nodded slowly.

Together they both walked out of the tent and into the afternoon sun, finding that all, or at least _most _of the knights were now up with their Lords and they were all training and brushing up on their skills… Things that Tempest should have been doing at that moment as well. They walked over the sand and towards the grassy hills that the woods lined a little way away.

"Want to climb some trees?" Jamal asked out of nowhere and Tempest had to restrain a chuckle. Leave it to a thirteen year old boy to suggest tree climbing while on a walk.

"Sure, why not?" she smiled slightly as they walked away from the bustle of the beach and into the cool, quiet shade of the forest. After a few minutes of being in the trees Jamal stopped and jumped up into a skinny little tree that could probably only barely hold his weight alone. Tempest snorted as she looked at the puny tree.

"I'm going to go find a tree for normal people," she said with a small smile and walked a little deeper into the forest however she could still see the young boy clearly. As she found a sturdy and tall willow tree she grabbed a low hanging branch and swung herself up onto it only managing to land on her stomach with an ungraceful thud.

As she began to catch her breath she reached up and pulled herself a little bit higher and then settled down on a branch. She leaned against the trunk of the tree and listened to the birds singing clearly around her, the wind blowing through the leaves. Everything was peaceful and she began to close her eyes.

There was a sudden twig snapping and then a voice sounded, "You think that this will work?"

Tempest's eyes snapped open as she looked down to the ground and saw two men walking directly below her tree.

"It better work, there is no way in hell that I'm fighting against a girl… Let's hope this will change her mind," a rougher voice replied to the other one and Tempest's hear t began to race. They were talking about her.

"No one can find out about this, got it?" said the rough voice again and Tempest's insides turned to mush as she realized that they were walking directly towards Jamal who was still in plain sight…

**Oh God. Cliff hanger :) haha sorry 'bout that :) I had to. Please review and tell me what you think!**

**Reading reviews is Much Better than reading about fellow competitors! :P**


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